Sweden has confirmed its trust and support for Montenegro on its path to membership in the European Union (EU), said Montenegrin President Jakov Milatović after a meeting with King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.
Although the announcement was made by Milatović's cabinet, this meeting, as part of the first official visit of the Montenegrin president to Sweden since the restoration of independence, confirms that the relations between the two countries are friendly and allied, focused on the stability of Europe, the rule of law and the success of the enlargement policy.
Milatović pointed out that Montenegro and Sweden share the same fundamental values and view of the European future of the region.
As he said, his visit to Sweden opened a new page in the relations between the two countries.
"This is a historic visit by a Montenegrin president to Sweden, which I have just concluded with a meeting with the king. In this way, the Swedish side has shown trust in Montenegro. We have received strong support for our European path," said Milatović.
The president's office said that the focus of the talks was on strengthening bilateral relations, EU enlargement, as well as European security policy.
"It was concluded that Sweden's support for Montenegro's enlargement policy and reform agenda is of crucial importance, as enlargement strengthens both the Union and the region," the statement said.
Milatović invited the Swedish king to visit Montenegro.
He thanked Sweden for its expert and political support so far, emphasizing that the EU-Western Balkans Summit, which will be held on June 1st next year in Montenegro, is an opportunity to highlight the country's success on its European path.
Milatović recalled that during the day he had an extraordinary conversation with the president and members of the Swedish Parliament, from all parties across the political spectrum in that country.
"All in all, a historic visit and a new page opened today when it comes to Sweden and its support for Montenegro," said Milatović.
He emphasized that the focus of the visit was also strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries.
Milatović believes that much more work needs to be done to ensure that Swedish companies invest more in Montenegro.
"You know that this is a country that is known worldwide for the companies H&M, Volvo, Saab and Ericsson, which I visited today. I sent a message that Montenegro is open to Swedish companies," said Milatović.
According to him, the Montenegrin government must work much harder to truly attract credible investors to Montenegro.
"Today I made a significant contribution to that - I opened the door. Now the competent state authorities and our private companies should continue the work I started," Milatović emphasized.
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